Wednesday, 29 May 2013

O'Farrell Government Refuses to Protect Rural Jobs in the Energy Sector

The O’Farrell Government has refused to support protections for hundreds of rural and regional workers in the energy sector – placing a veil of uncertainty over the future of many staff across the state’s energy sector.

The Government today rejected an Opposition amendment to protect rural and regional staff of Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy from being sideswiped by broader reforms across the governance of the sector.

Under changes passed through the lower house of Parliament – the State’s three electricity distributors are being slashed into one with hundreds of jobs under threat.

The NSW Opposition’s amendment would ensure that jobs in rural centres were maintained at current levels for five years after the merge.

The Treasurer has today put the rural employees of Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy on notice.

By rejecting this amendment – the Treasurer has opened the door to hundreds or perhaps thousands of job losses across rural and regional NSW.

Faced with a clear choice to give certainty, these now vulnerable employees deserve to know the Government voted down an amendment to protect their employment.This uncertainty is going to loom large over the employees, their families and the communities they call home.

The Treasurer needs to guarantee that no jobs will be targeted and that no jobs will be lost on the back of these changes.

About Ron Hoenig

Ron Hoenig MP is the State Member for Heffron in the NSW Parliament.
He was elected to Parliament at a by-election on the 25 August 2012.
Prior to entering Parliament he was the Mayor of the City of Botany Bay, a position he held for more than 30 years. He was, and still is regarded by many as one of the most progressive Mayors in the Sydney metropolitan region.
He is a barrister and prior to entering parliament was a Public Defender for the State of New South Wales.
Ron Hoenig was born in Sydney and raised in Eastlakes, attending Eastlakes Public School, Daceyville Public School and The J.J. Cahill Memorial High School in Mascot.